How to pick haircuts and hairstyles for an oval face shape

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We kicked off our ‘Hairstyles For Your Face Shape’ series with a complete guide to the perfect hairstyles for round faces. This time, we’re decoding the best hairstyles and haircuts for the oval face shape. For people with oval faces, it’s important that your hair doesn’t add any more length to your face, but makes the face squarer/rounder instead. Mumbai-based celebrity hairstylist Aasif Ahmed shares his top tips on the best hairstyles and cuts for those with an oval face and the ones they should stay away from.

How to determine if you have an oval face“Your hairstyle can be used to define, highlight and hide your features,” says Ahmed. “It’s very important to first know your face shape for this. The best way to do this is to pull back all of your hair into a tight ponytail which allows you to properly look at your face. If you have an oval face, you will notice a broad forehead and a long jawline as the most prominent features.”

Haircut tips for oval faces– The easiest way to take off length from a long, oval face shape is the visually break it with side-swept bangs.
– An asymmetrical bob with bangs looks really good on people with oval faces. You can also try a bob if you have curly hair as that adds volume to the sides of your face.
– If you have straight, long hair, add a few layers to break the solid lines of the cut, which may elongate your face. Try a side-swept style and add bangs, if you’d like.

Best hairstyles for oval faces– When it comes to hairstyles for oval faces, focus on adding volume on the sides of your face as that creates an illusion of a rounder face shape.
– If you have an oval face, ditch the high ponytail, top knots or any other hairstyle that requires you to tie your hair high up. Instead, go for hairstyles that are placed in line with your ears or below. Avoid adding too much volume on the crown as that will make your face look even longer.
– Long faces tend to look sharper. To balance this, try softer hairstyles. A loose side braid or even a sleek low bun suits those with long faces. Bangs, too add softness to your face contour.

Flip through the gallery below to get inspired by the hairstyles of celebrities with oval faces.

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Image: Instagram.com/anushkasharma

Anushka Sharma

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Image: Instagram.com/beyonce

Beyoncé

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Image: Instagram.com/therealkarismakapoor

Karisma Kapoor

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Image: Instagram.com/emmawatson

Emma Watson

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Image: Instagram.com/katrinakaif

Katrina Kaif

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Image: Instagram.com/evamendes

Eva Mendes

This story is part of our ‘Hairstyles For Your Face Shape‘ series which gives you expert tips on the best hairstyles for you, whether you have a round, square or heart-shaped face. Look out for a new story every week